1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vibrating dental scaler inserts, and more particularly relates to an vibrating dental scaler insert which operates with reduced noise and dampened vibration to the scaler handpiece.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known in the art that plaque and calculus harbor toxic and irritating components implicated in oral disease and that plaque and calculus can be removed from teeth by high frequency scaling. Prior art scaling instruments have been designed with scaling tips that are caused to vibrate at frequencies between about 6 and 50 kHz using mechanical, magnetostrictive or piezo-electric energy.
Magnetostrictive ultrasonic dental scalers usually comprise a dental handpiece having an ultrasonic transducer positioned within an energizing coil located within a sleeve. The transducer conventionally comprises a stack of laminar plates of magnetostrictive material that is excited by the coil to longitudinally expand and contract at high frequencies.
Generally, the transducer stack is connected at one end to an acoustical impedance transformer which, in turn, is connected to a dental work tool, all of which comprises the electromechanical vibrator. The transformer provides an acoustical transmission line between the transducer and the work tool. The scaler insert is typically mounted in the handpiece sleeve by means of an o-ring.
When using magnetostrictive dental scaler inserts, heat is generated by the vibration of the laminar stacks. Accordingly, most prior art scaling devices have a conduit that transports tap water to the handpiece and onto the scaler tip for cooling thereof. In magnetostrictive devices, for example, the tap water may first be used to circulate around the transducer stack to cool the stack, and subsequently dispensed onto the scaling tip to cool the tip and irrigate the work area and cleanse the operating area of the debris.
Conventional modern magnetostrictive dental scaler inserts include a molded plastic housing surrounding the acoustical transformer portion of the insert. The plastic housing is constructed to leave an axial space around the transformer portion as the conduit for cooling water. Near the working tip of the dental scaler insert is a bushing which directs the cooling water through a groove formed in the base of the working tip and extending into the axial space within the plastic housing to provide irrigation to the operating area. The bushing near the working tip does not include any form of seal, and tends to allow the cooling/irrigating water to leak out from the end of the plastic housing. The water leaking from the end tends to drip onto the patient and also tends to cause problems with respect to generation of good water spray envelope around the working tip. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a dental scaler insert design in which the cooling/irrigating water is sealed within the housing preventing leakage.
A further disadvantage of conventional dental scaler inserts is the loud noise generated by operation of the insert. As is well known, most dental patients experience some degree of anxiety when visiting a dentist. Some anxiety is specifically associated with certain dental procedures such as drilling or scaling. These procedures utilize instruments having distinctive operating noises which may upset some patients merely by hearing the dental device. Thus, it would be advantageous to design a dental scaler insert which operates at a much quieter noise level to ease the anxiety of a dental patient.
Yet another disadvantage of convention dental scalers is the vibration caused by the insert which is transmitted to the handpiece of the ultrasonic dental scaler. These vibrations may cause problems to the operator of the dental scaler. Such problems include difficulty in performing procedures in which the working tip must be accurately contacted with a specific portion of a tooth or other control problems which may be encountered by the operator. For example, numbness in the hands of the operator has been noted.
A further disadvantage of conventional dental scaler inserts is associated with the sterilization of the inserts after use. Effective sterilization is best accomplished by using an autoclave. An autoclave operates under high pressure at an increased temperature to kill any bacteria on the scaler insert. Autoclave sterilization may degrade seals associated with the scaler insert as well as the molded plastic housing. This degradation may lead to leaks as discussed above with respect to the cooling/irrigating water. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to design a dental scaler insert which is highly durable and capable of withstanding an infinite number of sterilizations by autoclaving without degradation to the insert.